Live Music for Events of All Sorts
Guitar music and more with taste, imagination and depth
I can provide music for places, events and projects of all sorts, including private parties, ceremonies & observances, restaurants & bars, and house concerts. Here are some things I offer:
Solo guitar in a wide variety of styles including classical, folk, bossa nova, Caribbean, jazz, pop and standards
Guitar and clarinet with the wonderful clarinetist, Dale Polissar. Expandable to a trio with upright bassist Blake Richardson
Guitar and vocal with singer Sara Winge, in a variety of styles informaed by folk, jazz, and not-so-contemporary popular music
Invented Instruments, featuring instruments of my own design
My original training was as a classical guitarist. My playing now includes a diversity of genres to suit any occasion, with enough variety to keep things always fresh. Whether solo guitar or a small ensemble, the music works well indoors or out. It can function as a central focus or as background music. It can be lively without being obtrusive, or it can be quiet and still engaging. And of course you can count on me to be responsible, dependable, personable and punctual.
I’ve played extensively in the North Bay Area for many years and can provide references. A sampler CD is available free of charge on request (be sure to include a mailing address).
Read on for more detailed information. Or, for performance possibilities that are a little farther off the beaten track, click here for information on my work with invented musical instruments.
You can find audio samples here, fees & further details here, and publicity materials here.
WHAT KIND OF MUSIC WOULD YOU LIKE?
Solo Guitar
My original training was as a classical guitarist. In addition to classical guitar music (transcriptions from renaissance and baroque lute music, early guitar music, pieces from the Spanish classical guitar repertoire, and so forth), I play lots of folk and pop music, bossa nova, jazz standards, Caribbean music, and the like. You can tell me to emphasize a particular mood or genre, or you can leave it to me to come up with a suitable mix. People often comment with pleasure on the diversity of my repertoire. If your event is a wedding or other formal occasion, I can suggest ceremonial music including the well known processionals and recessionals, or new and different but equally suitable pieces.
I also often play an electric guitar, but not in the rock style usually associated with that instrument. I’ve developed a sound and style which work best with classical music or arrangements of folk melodies. The fine, glittery quality of my electric guitar provides an effective contrast with the fuller, warmer sound of the classical guitar. I also often use another semi-acoustic guitar of my own design and construction – it has a clear and attractive sound, and it comes across better in difficult sound environments.
With help from some electronic gadgetry, I have the capability to add percussive grooves to my solo playing, for times that call for a particularly lively sound.
Duo with Clarinet, or Trio with Clarinet and Bass
I regularly work with the clarinetist Dale Polissar. The guitar and clarinet together create a fuller sound than the guitar alone, and the two tone qualities complement one another beautifully. Dale is a truly wonderful clarinetist. His phrasings are both tasty and tasteful and his sound mellifluous and warm, whether he’s playing something bouncy and rhythmic or something slow and lovely. Our repertoire includes standards, jazz, folk melodies, and pop tunes.
The addition of the fine bassist Blake Richardson gives the group a fuller, more rhythmic and danceable sound.
Guitar and Vocal
Vocalist Sara Winge has a long history in folk and country music, but her work extends well beyond – for instance, you should hear her way with a boppy jazz number, or with a jazz ballad. I join her in the vocal chores, and occasionally even sing a tune or two on my own.
Invented Instruments
You can see and hear many of my invented instruments here. These are not computers and synthesizers but real, hand-made and human-played constructions. They’ll take you to musical places you’re not likely to arrive at any other way: some rhythmic and lively, some lyrical and lovely; some strange, and then some that may seem strangely familiar.
I can present the instruments solo or in ensemble with other creative instrument makers. This sort of presentation is more of a production than the guitar, clarinet or vocal music described above, so if you’re interested we’ll need to be in touch to discuss details.
In addition to concertizing with the instruments, I often give lecture/demonstrations. These can be oriented to young people or adults, and to people with high or low levels of scientific literacy. Does the topic of acoustic principles as manifest in musical instruments sound like it would be dry or academic? It’s not – better words would be lively, fun, engaging.
WHAT SORTS OF EVENTS
IS THIS MUSIC SUITABLE FOR?
My solo guitar music generally works best in small-to-medium-sized gatherings (anywhere from a few people to, say, 200), or in larger gatherings in which the music isn’t expected to fill the entire space. This music is more understated and less dominating than that of a regular band (not to mention more affordable and less demanding in terms of space and logistics).
Like solo guitar, the duos or trio can work well in a small setting, but can also create a bigger sound, fill a bigger room, or create a more danceable atmosphere.
